Logging blitz threatens N. Sumatra Leuser forest<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL) in North Sumatra province is
\nfacing further degradation, as illegal logging and occupation of
\nland in this protected forest by Acehnese refugees has continued
\nunchecked.<\/p>\n
At least 3,000 hectares of land inside the forest are
\ncurrently occupied by around 700 families from the neighboring
\nrestive province of Aceh, who are using it as a resettlement area
\nand for agriculture.<\/p>\n
The occupied land is located in Sei Lepan and Besitang
\nsubdistricts in Langkat regency, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The Consortium to Safeguard the Leuser Forest and Ecosystem
\nZone (KP-HAKEL), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) concerned
\nwith the protected park, said the refugees, mostly from East Aceh
\nregency, began to seize the land illegally in early 2001.<\/p>\n
Initially they came in small groups but their numbers later
\nswelled due to the absence of security guards preventing the
\nillegal intrusion.<\/p>\n
Deni Purba, a Consortium activist, said not all the settlers
\nwere Acehnese refugees but land speculators from Langkat and
\nMedan, involved in clearing the protected forest since the 1980s.<\/p>\n
He said that based on findings of the Consortium, which
\noversees 30 NGOs dealing with environmental affairs, the
\nspeculators have played a significant role in encouraging
\nAcehnese refugees to settle there in the former's own interest.<\/p>\n
The existence of the refugees, who now total 1000 families,
\nhas brought economic fortune to the speculators as they have
\nready access to a pool of labor to assist in the illegal logging.<\/p>\n
The speculators have sold two hectares of land in the Leuser
\nforest at Rp 2 million to Rp 4 million to each refugee family,
\nwho may pay for it in installments.<\/p>\n
With a down payment of only Rp 50,000, a refugee family can
\nacquire two hectares of land and repay its monthly installments
\nfrom the illegal logging income.<\/p>\n
\"In such a way, land speculators can tie refugees in to the
\nillegal logging process,\" Deni told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
In an effort to curb the continued onslaught on the protected
\nforest, the Consortium urged the central government to
\nimmediately intervene in resettling refugees to more appropriate
\nareas and take firm action against the speculators.<\/p>\n
The refugees fled their homes in East Aceh following the
\nunabated fighting between government troops and armed members of
\nthe separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Last September, the Leuser management authorities managed to
\nrelocate at least 154 refugee families from the forest to Riau
\nprovince. But the relocation effort seemed to grind to a halt
\nwithout good reason.<\/p>\n
Heri Wahyudi, coordinator of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JSC)
\n-- who serves as a volunteer for the refugees -- said the ill-
\nfated Acehnese were willing to be resettled to other areas,
\nexcept for their home province.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that local illegal loggers had been exploiting
\nthe refugees purely for their own benefit. \"It has already become
\npublic knowledge that the existence of refugees here is
\nadvantageous to many speculators,\" he told the Post on Saturday
\nin his JSC office, Medan.<\/p>\n
The Acehnese refugees were indeed aware that what they had
\nbeen doing was in breach of the law. \"So far, they are not afraid
\nof possible sanction by the authorities. They are prepared to
\nface any risk,\" Heri said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/logging-blitz-threatens-n-sumatra-leuser-forest-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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